


I Won the Pool!

by theoriginalcheeesecake



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/M, stupidly fluffy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-05
Updated: 2015-09-05
Packaged: 2018-04-19 03:46:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4731692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theoriginalcheeesecake/pseuds/theoriginalcheeesecake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Caroline's second last semester of college had been long enough already, how had she let Kol talk her into Christmas with his exhausting family?</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Won the Pool!

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Angelikah](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angelikah/gifts).



> Dear Angie, 
> 
> Happy Klaroline Vacation! 
> 
> I sort of mish-mashed three or four of your bribe prompts together, and tweaked the hell out of them to fit my needs. It's basically an Angie's-Bribe-Prompt-Frankenstein-One-Shot-Thing. I had such fun writing it, and I very much hope you enjoy it - even if I did get a little bit carried away. 
> 
> :)
> 
> P.S. I know it's rated 'Explicit' but it's not really, I just didn't want to get in trouble for it being too porny and me not rating it correctly. I'm not really sure where it stops being 'mature' content, and starts being 'explicit' content. Hope you understand. :)

Caroline bounded into to her lecture happily before immediately groaning.  

There _he_ was.

Once again.

Caroline fervently rolled her eyes, as though sheer will power would make _him_ leave the class. 

“What’s got your panties in a twist?” Katherine smirked, as she came up beside her best friend. 

“ _Him_ ,” Caroline gritted out, narrowing her eyes at the offending male. 

Every week he sat in the same spot, completely nameless, and opinion-less, all the while looking stupidly attractive.

And every week he’d stare at the page in front of him and doodle – sorry, _sketch_ , as she heard him call it once – appearing as though he was paying absolutely no attention whatsoever.

Katherine’s smirk grew wider, which only baited Caroline into elaborating.

“Urgh! What’s he even doing here? This is a _women’s_ studies class!” Caroline exclaimed. “He is _not_ a woman!” 

“No, he most certainly is not,” Katherine quipped, giving the man an appreciative once -over. 

“Oh, stop it, Kat!” Caroline hissed, as the lecturer began speaking. “He’s not even attractive.”

 Although, Caroline knew that was a lie. A _total_ lie.

The man was probably the most attractive and sexy man she’d ever clapped eyes on. He was lean, but she could still see sinewy muscles bunching up under his comfortable cotton Henley. His lips looked as though they would be softer than clouds, but would delivered a promise to do sinful things to her body. On top of that, they were such a naturally beautiful shade of raspberry, Caroline just _knew_ he was a lady-killer. He had sharp, high cheekbones and the perfect masculine nose. But what topped off his illegally sexy look, was the manly stubble that covered his face.

Before university, Caroline had always gone for the straight-down-the-line, clean-shaven good boys – safe and caring, but not exactly exciting. But after she’d been dumped by her high school boyfriend, Tyler, midway through her freshman year at college, Caroline had become much more into the bad boys with dodgy morals. She’d had her heart broken on several occasions, but it was _so_ exhilarating while it lasted.  

And this guy _definitely_ looked like he would fit the bill.

But that was beside the point. _Totally_ beside the point.

“Why would he even take this class?” Caroline muttered to Katherine, as the lecturer kept droning on about some feminist movement. “He probably thinks if he looks sexy enough he can sleep with the unit coordinator, and automatically pass.”

Katherine’s smile widened even further. “What happened to ‘he’s not even attractive’?”

“He’s not,” Caroline spluttered. “I just meant… he _thinks_ he is… I don’t think that… Not at all… Don’t give me that face, Pierce! You can just always tell the cocky ones… They sit different. Shut up!”

“Sure, sure,” Katherine giggled. 

Caroline shot Katherine a death stare and was about to open her mouth to give Katherine a piece of her mind when she heard a throat clearing.

“Are you two quite finished?”

Caroline felt her face colour. 

She had _never_ disrupted a class before. Ever. Like _ever._

“Oh, my gosh, Germaine,” Caroline gushed out apologetically. “I’m so _so_ sorry for interrupting. It won’t happen again.” 

Katherine continued smirking at Caroline’s ramblings. Kat was no stranger to being called out in class, and she knew if you just shut up, the lecturer would just give you the stink eye, before going back to what they were talking about. The more you apologised, the more they would talk about it.

“If you’re so _sorry_ , why don’t you explain your understanding of the area of unequal female-male platonic relationships? 

Caroline looked blankly at the woman at the front of the lecture hall, very _very_ aware of all the eyes in the room staring at her.

“The what?” Caroline asked, shamefaced and floundering. To be honest, she really hadn’t been paying any attention to what was going on in the class.

“Explain your ideas on ‘the friend zone’,” the lecturer said, using air quotes around the last three words, as though the term was offensive somehow.

Relief flooded her body. She knew what the friend zone was, and exactly how to explain it.

“The friend-zone, is a form of female empowerment,” Caroline said, confidently, and all the girls in the room nodded their heads in agreement. “It’s not about using your body as a way of controlling men, but it is about gaining power over them. Because the minute you sleep with them, you lose that power.”

The rest of the girls in the theatre were murmuring and smiling around at each other, all in agreement over their supposedly shared understanding of the idea friend zone had brought in a world where they had scramble for every inch of control over the male gender. 

“A guy isn’t placed in the friend-zone intentionally for this reason, but it serves the purpose of giving woman some power over men instead of them thinking they have dominance!”

Caroline finished her triumphant speech, and a cheer went around the room as all the girls showed their sister solidarity.

The ruckus in the room was dying down as a voice piped up.

“That’s not what the friend zone is about, love.”

The voice was gravelly and masculine, and Caroline whipped her around, her eyes locking with the only male in the class.

_God,_ Caroline thought. _He has an accent._

“Excuse me?” Caroline countered.

Caroline’s eyes met his, and sparks flew. She retracted her previous statement. The eyes topped off his illegally attractive look. They were a piercing blue, and had a deep, dark tortured look to them. The intensity of his stare had Caroline completely forgetting there was anyone else in the room.

Gee, this man was sexy.

“The friend zone isn’t about ‘female empowerment’. It’s about male narcissism.”

Caroline frowned at him, at a loss to what his point was.

Sexy he may be… But he lost points for being misogynistic.

“Typical. Trust the only male in the _women’s_ studies class to make it about _men_ ,” Caroline snapped nastily.

He raised a challenging eyebrow at her, and got to his feet.

Caroline felt her stomach clench slightly as he rose. Not once did their eye contact break, even as he began talking to the lecturer.

“If you don’t mind, Germaine, could I disrupt the class further to raise my concerns with Miss Forbes’ understanding, as well as outlining my own opinion on the area of unequal female-male platonic relationships?”

The lecturer nodded approvingly, a shrewd smile playing on her lips, watching the electric chemistry between the two students.

“Thank you,” he said. “While I agree with your statement about females often placing males in the friend zone unintentionally, it’s not about woman gaining power over men. It’s about men putting a label on women for their right to say no.”

There were no longer any eyes staring at Caroline, except for his. Caroline could honestly not remember ever seeing a more beautiful pair of eyes.

“A few weeks ago, Miss Forbes, you made a very good point about female sexual objectification, and so I’m surprised you’d see the friend zone as a way of using your womanly wiles to have men do your bidding.”

Caroline’s eyes went wide. The bastard listened to her. He actually listened! He spent every class _sketching_ , when the hell would he have time to listen?

“Though I digress.”

He flashed his dimples at her, and Caroline felt knees go slightly weak.

“The kind of men who use terms like ‘the friend zone’ are also the kind of men who see themselves as god’s gift to the world, and can’t seem to understand why women don’t want to have sex with them. By creating this fictitious ‘zone’ – whereby women place men they don’t want to sleep with and generating all this stigma around women who use the ‘friend zone’ to take advantage of men – men are able to create a reason for why _they_ think women say ‘no’ to their cock.”

A few of the girls let out giggles at his language, but others’ faces had their brows creased as if considering his point with a great deal of thought.

“So, it brings me back to my point. The friend zone is about men being too narcissistic to understand why women don’t want to sleep with them.”

With that very concise ending, the guy sat back in his chair and continued to look at her with those soul-searching eyes, and smug little smirk.

“I hate to agree with that analysis, Miss Forbes. But he’s right. The friend zone is the label men give to a women’s right to say ‘no’, just as ‘slut’ is the label they give for a woman’s right to say ‘yes’. But thank you, both, for your contributions today, I’m always keen for some lively lecture debate.”

Caroline knew her mouth was agape. She knew her eyes were as round as dinner plates. She knew she was still dumbly standing. And she _knew_ the lecturer had closed the discussion, so she should sit down.

But _what the hell had just even happened?_

_That guy_ had just totally shut her down. Like _completely._ How could have even happen?

_And,_ she couldn’t believe she was going to even _think_ this, but he actually had a good point. He had completely unravelled the _true_ meaning of the friend zone; a concept which had, apparently, gone completely over the heads of the forty-seven other self-proclaimed feminists in the class.

Caroline felt a tugging on her hand and she _finally_ broke eye contact with _him_ , looking down to see Katherine smiling sympathetically up at her.

“Come on, Care,” she whispered. “I know it’s not everyday someone beats you at something, but sit down, it’ll be okay.”

Caroline sat down, stupidly, before throwing one last look at the guy. He merely flicked his eyebrows at her wickedly, turning back to his page, and seeming to zone out once again.

She tried to focus on what Germaine was saying. She really did.

But she couldn’t.

She was the top of the _whole freaking unit_ for god’s sake, how could she let someone else – especially _him_ – one up her?

How?

xxx

A couple of weeks passed, and semester had finally ended. Caroline had _never_ been more relieved to see the end of a school term. _Ever._

This semester ending meant she only had one left until she would graduate. It also meant she would _never_ had to deal with _that guy_ again.

Over the last weeks of the course, he had gone back to completely ignoring everything the lecturer said, but when marks had been posted, Caroline had only narrowly beaten him for top of the class, and it just made her blood boil. She worked ridiculously hard for that class, and he could just sit there _sketch_ and still almost beat her‽

But it was okay now. No more women’s studies with douche-y dirtwads for Caroline. Now she could go back to being her optimistic self.

“But why, Kol?” She grumbled down the phone to her housemate.

_“I don’t like the thought of you all alone over Christmas, and my family is excited to have you. Maybe your presence will remind father to behave.”_

“But Kol!” Caroline groaned exasperatedly. “The drive to New Orleans is _so_ long. And I can’t afford to fly! And who cares if I have to be alone for Christmas, it’s not any different from the last three years.”

_“I care, Caroline,”_ Kol said earnestly and Caroline rolled her eyes impatiently; Kol only ever used her first name when he was being serious.

She and Kol had been best friends since summer after senior year of high school. Caroline had taken a solo trip to New York to reward herself for finishing high school. Which was where Kol came in. The two of them met in a bar, got drunk and had been inseparable ever since.

“But they’re _your_ family, Kol. You should spend time with them.”

Kol’s family were from England originally, but had moved to New Orleans around the time Caroline met him. Kol was _supposed_ to go to Tulane, but being the rebel he was had decided to go to Whitmore to keep Caroline company.

_“You’re my family too, Care. And I don’t want you sitting alone in our big house, drinking mulled wine and missing your parents. My family is big and rowdy enough to share.”_

She and Kol had moved in together at the start of sophomore year, after both deciding on campus housing was _awful_ and he had also been the one to help her through her mother’s death.

_“Please come, Care.”_

Caroline sighed and knew she couldn’t say no. Not now. Not after he said ‘please’. And used the puppy dog voice.

“Fine. But I refuse to be your pretend girlfriend to make that Davina girl jealous like last time, okay?”

_“Deal. You have directions?”_

“Yeah, I’ll see you later.”

_“Bye, Carebear!”_

Caroline rolled her eyes.

She loved Kol. She really did.

But the stories he told about his family were not endearing.

She threw herself back on the bed, sighing frustrated.

How had she let him talk her into this?

xxx

Klaus groaned.

14 hours.

He would be driving for _14 hours._

_And it was 5 o’clock in the morning._

What in the name of all that was good possessed him to agree to do this?

_First,_ he’d let his siblings talk him into taking his semester abroad – as part of his degree through Cambridge – in the States – of all places – rather than somewhere actually culturally developed. Klaus was just glad he chose to study with Kol at Whitmore, rather than at Tulane, where he’d have to be in the same city as Mikael. That was something that hadn’t happened in at least six years.

Then, in some stupid moment of vulnerability, he’d let Rebekah and Henrik talk him into coming for a ‘family Christmas’. How the hell had he let that happen? He would literally be in the same _room_ as Mikael. That would _not_ go down well.

_Then_ he’d let Kol talk him into driving. Kol would be flying the day after semester ended, and Klaus was planning on leaving it as close to Christmas day he could, so as not to spend too much time with his parents. Kol had convinced Klaus to drive, because then Kol wouldn’t have to deal with the car in Whitmore after Klaus left – Klaus was very particular about his car, didn’t like to leave it on its own for too long (he’d even had it shipped over from the UK while on exchange).

He couldn’t believe he’d let any of this happen. He was happy leading his bachelor lifestyle in London. His family were too much hard work.

And now he was beginning the stupidly long trip to get to his exasperating family, and he was frustrated. _So_ frustrated.

To make matters worse, the car he was tailing was a violent and head-achingly bright shade of pink.

There was no doubt in Klaus’ mind the driver of such a visually draining car was a ditsy Barbie girl. Her car was literally the same shade of pink as one of Rebekah’s Barbie cars from when she was young.

To top off the absurdity and intolerability of the situation, she was blasting _Disney_ music, of all the awful things.

Klaus could hear every note from the opening of A Girl Worth Fighting For to Breaking Free (he hated how he knew which song it was and where it came from – damn High School Musical and damn Rebekah’s bizarre 24/7 fangirling over it) – all the way through the music The Lion King, Tangled and every other god forsaken Disney movie known to man – to the closing notes of Zip-A-Dee-Do-Dah.

He threw back his head in frustration.

He _wanted_ to believe he wasn’t going to be stuck behind her the _whole way to New Orleans,_ but with every town they drove through, and with every passing mile it became less and less likely.

He’d been tailing her, and her dreadful Disney tunes for the last _nine freaking hours_ so the probability of following her the rest of the way was high. 

With five hours remaining in his trip, Klaus seemed to go through something akin to the five stages of grief.

He started out feeling isolated from all things normal. The car was just _so_ pink! The sheer vivacity of the colour practically drowned out the entire world.

With four hours left, he began to get angry. Who the hell did this woman think she was? She was driving a few miles above the speed limit, so he couldn’t even overtake her to get away from her! So inconsiderate.

As the two cars sped through Evergreen, Alabama, Klaus’ anger evaporated and he began trying to regain control of his faculties, which the car in front had stripped him of. Every time they’d pass a turn off he’d think secretly _‘if you turn off now, and I can stop following you, I will give up sex and become a monk’._

When he only had to drive for two more hours, Klaus sunk into a deep depression. It was hard being him. For that hour the pink car somehow represented all the horrible things in his life, and he couldn’t pin point why, other than _he was completely sick of driving behind something so awfully girly!_

With one hour to go, Klaus finally managed to find his peace. Who cares if he had to follow behind such a loud vehicle? In another hour, he would have arrived at his destination and he would never have to deal with her and her stupidly pink car ever again.

xxx

Caroline groaned.

14 hours.

She would be driving for _14 freaking hours!_

_And it was five in the goddamn morning!_

How had she let Kol talk her into this?

Okay, if she was honest, she _was_ kind of excited.

Every Christmas since her mother died, she would mope around her house, alone, wishing she had a family to be part of.

And at least this year she would. Even if it was Kol’s crazy, larger than life family.

As she drove, Caroline thought on the little she knew of Kol’s family.

She’d met Rebekah a few times. She was a brat, but she was also really funny and a good friend once you got passed the whole I’m-to-cool-to-care persona.

Finn was ‘boring’ according to Kol, but he apparently he could cook better than anyone Kol knew.

_“Apart from his culinary skills, the only exciting thing about Finn is his very hot wife.”_

Caroline had met Elijah on a couple of occasions – mostly when he would visit Whitmore to scold Kol for having ‘too much fun’ and ‘not doing enough study’. He was a surgeon, was very polite, very proper, and Caroline was _sure_ he and Katherine had hooked up his last visit. But Katherine never confirmed her suspicions, and Elijah was above talking about crass topics.

Caroline never met Henrik, but Kol had said somehow, even though he was the spoilt youngest child, he was the sweetest in the family.

_“He may be the baby in the family, but he’s going to grow up to be just as charming as me!”_

Then there was Nik. Or Klaus. She couldn’t really work out which was his proper name. Caroline knew he was currently going to Whitmore as part of an exchange but Kol had done his utmost to keep them away from each other. According to Kol, Nik/Klaus was a cocky, lady-killing, impatient temperamental jerk.

_“Those traits, sweet Caroline, are what makes Nik my favourite brother. But I strongly advise you to_ never _get caught in his trap.”_

She knew Esther was a well-known interior designer with a love for never being around and Mikael was a lawyer with a temper.

_“They mean well, Caroline,”_ Kol said a couple of weeks earlier. _“But shouldn’t have been allowed to have children. That’s probably why my siblings and I are all basket cases.”_

She’d been driving for a few hours now, and there was a black Jaguar following closely behind her.

She frowned. She could have _sworn_ that same car had left Whitmore the same time she had.

Caroline just brushed it off. She couldn’t be the only person from the college going south for the Christmas.

As the hours passed, Caroline steadily became more and more bored. She’d listened through the first two Harry Potter audiobooks, stopped for snacks thrice, and was coming up on her fourth time listening to her entire catalogue of Disney songs.

The black car was still following her, and she was starting to get more and more suspicious. Every time she turned onto a new stretch of road, the sleek vehicle would turn too.

She’d seen the Truman Show, and she couldn’t help but be a little paranoid about whether the car behind her was actually secretly tailing her, because her whole life was really a TV show – though that was impossible, she wasn’t interesting or a vampire or anything… there was no way, in any alternate universe, a TV show was being made about her life… was there?

Anyway, that was beside the point.

As she counted down the last five hours until she reached New Orleans, Caroline seemed to be going the through the five stages of grief, though in reverse.

She started out accepting the car. It wasn’t following her, or tailing her, or anything. It was just driving to New Orleans from Whitmore, just as she was. It wasn’t speeding, or tail gating her, so it was okay. It didn’t matter. She could just ignore it and drive her merry way.

Then the car began to make her feel depressed. It was such a sad looking car. All black and tinted windows. She could just see the driver in her rear vision mirror, and he looked angry. He had black glasses, and black clothes, and his car was black. He must be a jaded lonely man.

When she had only three hours left of the stupidly long drive, she began bargaining with the car. Every time they’d pass a side road, or a be at a T-junction Caroline would say think _now, now’s the time I’m going to lose it,_ or _if only I’d gone the longer route, I wouldn’t be stuck in this terrible circle, with this terrible black car._

She was passing through Mobile, Alabama – after her final snack break of the trip – when the bargaining turned to anger.

“Why can’t you just leave me alone?!” She screeched, as sped down the highway, munching on a massive corndog, in an attempt to eat away her feelings.

As she got into the New Orleans city limits, Caroline pulled out the directions Kol had given her and started denying the car was following her.

Left, right, left again and the car was still behind her. But it wasn’t following her. She was the only one left in a world full of darkness.

Right, second exit off the roundabout, right – the car was still behind her.

As she reached the end of the Kol’s street, and the car was _still_ behind her, Caroline’s anger and paranoia returned in full force.

Who the bloody hell did this guy think he was though? He couldn’t intimidate her with his flash car, and his Big Brother tendencies.

She pulled up outside the number Kol gave her and blanched.

The nerve of him.

THE ACTUAL NERVE OF HIM!

The actual-freaking-stupid-fancy-black-car-big-brother nerve of him!

He’d pulled up just behind her.

She had her game face on now.

She was _Caroline Forbes_ and if he thought she was just going to let him get one over on her, then he had other things coming. She was no damsel in distress.

She angrily kicked open her car door, and stalked over to the offending male as he was exiting his vehicle, who looked nearly as suspicious of her as she was of him.

“Who the hell do you think you are?” Caroline shrieked, as she pinned him to the car with an angry palm to his chest – a very hard chest if she was honest, but again, that wasn’t the point.

“You’ve been following me ever since I left Whitmore. I don’t know what you think you’re doing, or who you work for. And _‘Hybrid’_ on your number plate? Are you serious? At least if it was a hybrid vehicle, which it’s not! AND LIKE why are you wearing sunglasses? It’s like ten o’clock at night! _And_ for the record I HAVE READ 1984, BUDDY, AND I KNOW BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING! I will not be kept captive by a television station! Do you hear me? Report back to your mothership or producers, or whatever, and tell them I will not be silenced!”

When Caroline finished up her speech, he chest was heaving, but she was proud with how articulately she’d made her point.

She looked closer at the man who was pinned under her hand.

Black sunglasses covered his eyes, but the rest of his face and body was in full vision. He was high cheek boned, with full raspberry lips, and a very attractive amount of stubble adorning his cheeks. Caroline almost felt bad she’d just screamed at him. He was an extremely handsome man, and somehow… familiar…

He raised his own hand to his glasses pulling them off, leaving Caroline with a perfect view of his eyes. His piercing blue eyes.

Her own eyes widened, her brain sparking off a memory. It couldn’t be.

“Sweetheart, I don’t know who you think _you_ are, or why you’re outside _my_ house. But…”

He stopped, his threat dying in his throat as he too recognised her.

“You,” Caroline whispered.

All traces of menace left him, and suddenly his demeanour changed to cocky and smug, a self-satisfied smirk creeping onto his face.

In her distraction, he flipped them over so Caroline was now pinned to the car, and his face was inches away from her.

“Hello again, love,” he breathed into her ear, as he trailed his nose lightly down her cheek.

Caroline shuddered as his breath fanned over the side of her face and down her neck, and she breathed in his masculine scent.

“Lovely to see you again.”

Caroline angrily pushed him away and stalked back to her car in an effort to hide her racing pulse, which had skyrocketed at his proximity.

“What the hell do you mean this is ‘your house’?” Caroline spat.

“I mean, this is my house? How much clearer do I have to be? Or do you need it spelt out in big letters for you? Seeing as we both know you’re not the brightest Barbie in the toy box.”

“Excuse me?” Caroline exclaimed.

“Well you did somehow completely miss the point of the friend zone, love. Not very _bright_ for a someone who considers themself a feminist.”

Caroline’s cheeks reddened, remembering her mistake from a few weeks earlier. She couldn’t believe he’d thrown it in her face like that. The nerve of him.

“You’re a real card, you know that?” Caroline said nastily. “You follow me all the way here, like some creepy stalker, and then you feed me bullshit about this being _your house_! Why would you even do that?”

“Because _this is my house_ , you imbecile!” he roared exasperatedly.

The shouting match between the two of them had not gone unnoticed by passers-by, nor by residents of the street. All of whom were peaking suspiciously through their curtains, as the domestic scene played out.

Caroline was just about to open her mouth to retort when –

“Caroline? Nik?”

The two of them froze, both turning towards the source of the voice. There was Kol, standing shirtless in the middle of the dimly lit street, ten o’clock at night. He looked half amused and half incredulous.

“I should have known tonight was too good to be true,” Kol said, as Caroline and Klaus continued to stand dumbly in front of him. “I finally get Davina too come home with me, and you two go and ruin it because you can’t keep your voices down.”

Caroline looked apologetic. Klaus just looked annoyed.

“Anyway,” Kol added. “Elijah’s here, but everyone else will be back tomorrow night. Ask him if you need anything or fend for yourselves. I’m going back to Davina. Talk to you in the morning.”

As Kol left, Klaus turned to Caroline.

“ _You’re_ Caroline?” he asked, nastily.

“Nice to meet you, _Nik,_ ” Caroline shot back, with a fake smile.

“It’s Klaus.”

“Right,” Caroline drawled. “First of all, what kind of name is ‘Klaus’? Second of all, why do you feel the need to have two names, _Nik?”_

Klaus’ scowl deepened at Caroline’s continued use of ‘Nik’. Only Kol, Bekah and Henrik called him that, and it annoyed him whenever anyone else tried.

“I can’t believe the girl Kol’s so attached to is _you_. I knew his taste in women was bad. But you?” Klaus said, giving Caroline a judgemental once-over, as though to press home his point of Kol’s bad taste.

Klaus didn’t really know why he said it. He knew Kol and Caroline were best friends, with nothing romantic at all between them.

But he couldn’t help the tug of jealousy at in the pit of his stomach as he thought of anyone else touching the goddess of a woman in front of him.

She really was something else entirely. Gorgeous curly blonde hair, long legs, and a smile that lit up the entire street. She was just beautiful.

But it didn’t matter, after their screaming match just now, Klaus had been completely turned off by her.

Well… Almost completely.

“I don’t know why you’re even here? Don’t you have your own family to go to over Christmas?”

Caroline bristled. She didn’t honestly. But he didn’t know that.

“God, you a jerk,” Caroline snapped. “Look, I don’t have to like you or even talk to you. I’m only here because Kol said ‘please’ and used my full name, rather than a nickname. So just stay out of my way.”

With that, Caroline grabbed her bag from the car, and flounced inside.

Klaus wasn’t sure how he managed to let her have the last word.

xxx

Two sleeps later, Christmas morning began cheerful and cold over the Mikaelson house.

Christmas Eve had proved rather uneventful, but for the house flooding with the rest of the family.

Rebekah had come along with stories of her new boyfriend, Enzo, who was apparently ‘the love of her life’ – though everyone in the house was _sure_ they’d met ‘the love of her life’ last family gathering… and it certainly wasn’t someone named Enzo.

Finn and Sage had arrived from their house in Chicago.

And Esther and Mikael had returned from their trip, along with Henrik.

Caroline was happy for the first Christmas in years, and Kol was proud he’d brought a smile to her face.

There was laughter, and fun, a little bit of family drama – but that happened in all families.

Everyone was relieved Mikael and Klaus were behaving. Neither of them were being particularly pleasant or even very civil with each other. But they had refrained from having a proper Mikael vs Klaus ‘argument’ yet – which was _very_ good seeing as the Mikaelson’s usually referred to Mikael and Klaus’ fights as the verbal equivalent of nuclear war. And after a day of being in the same city, that was saying something.

Klaus took the relative peace with his stepfather as an indication that Mikael was _finally_ getting over the fact Klaus wasn’t his biological son.

Most of the rest of the house, however, knew this was not the reason. No, the reason Klaus and Mikael weren’t fighting as usual was because Klaus was too busy being distracted with other things.

Beautiful, blonde, leggy things with sharp tongues.

And it certainly wasn’t his sister distracting him.

Caroline floated around the house, charming all the other Mikaelsons effortlessly with mere smiles and laughs. She thanked them for having her, she cleared dishes after meals. She was the perfect picture of pretty perfection.

But Klaus yearned to see the fire in her eyes, and the challenge between her teeth, just as he had the previous night and during their class together.

Whenever she’d open her mouth to say something in his vicinity, Klaus would roll his eyes, or groan loudly, or make some comment on her being blonde, thus not knowing what she was talking about.

It infuriated her beyond belief and she’d snap at him, or throw him a withering stare, and Klaus revelled in watching her squirm.

Their banter was of a very high calibre, and Klaus found Caroline was actually fiercely intelligent. It just made him want to prod her more.

Caroline tried to fight the thrill that shot through her whenever Klaus so much as looked at her. But as Christmas Eve wore on, it became harder and harder.

He was so painfully attractive, but also funny and smart. Despite the fact he annoyed the absolute _hell_ out of her, she found herself secretly enjoying every interaction they shared.

Presents on Christmas morning were another enjoyable affair. Caroline was very touched to know that despite not being part of the family, the Mikaelsons had still gone out of their way to include her in the gifting tradition.  

As the morning rolled into lunch Klaus teased her to the point of hysteria and as though fate planned it – or maybe it was Kol – Caroline ended up sitting next to Klaus. The two snipped and sniped at each other throughout the whole meal, much to the entertainment of the rest of the family.

As food wound up, Caroline jumped up and began to clear plates before Esther could. The Mikaelson housekeepers had the day off, and Caroline – the true southern belle at heart – couldn’t let the hosts of the day do the tidying up as well.

“Oh Caroline, dear. You don’t have to do that,” Esther implored.

“That’s okay, Mrs Mikaelson. _Nik_ will help me, won’t you, Nik.”

“Nik will bloody well not!” Klaus blanched.

The polite look vanished from her face as Caroline fixed him with her most commanding stare. It was a stare she saved for those who under-performed back in her high school cheer squad. A stare she used on Kol when he had the gall to do one of his girls on their couch while she was home. It was a stare that could move a mountain.

And it was a stare that inspired Klaus Mikaelson to get up and help clear the table.

As the two blondes began bickering about who would do what in the kitchen, there was silence around the table, as the family watched the scene unfold. No one had _ever_ been able to make Klaus do something he didn’t want to do. Ever.

When they left, arms laden with plates still griping at each other, Rebekah piped up, “I’m putting $100 on them banging on New Years Day. Anyone else?”

“Oh Rebekah, dear, have some class,” Esther scolded her daughter. 

“I’ll put hundred on them not banging yet, but by next Christmas they’ll be in a committed relationship,” Sage added.

“Fifty on them not sleeping together, but they will have a New Years kiss,” Finn said.

“I’ll put fifty dollars in if we stop talking about Nik having sex with _anyone._ Let alone Caroline,” Henrik said, squirming in his seat.

“Jealous, little brother?” Rebekah asked teasingly. It was no secret Henrik was a little taken with Caroline.

“No!” Henrik exclaimed, defensively.

“You are a bunch of fools,” Mikael growled. “I put fifty on the girl having more sense than to sleep with _Niklaus,_ of all people.”

“Be nice, father,” Elijah sighed. “Seeing as we seem to be doing this. I’ll place a hundred dollars on Miss Forbes succumbing to Niklaus’ charms by the 27th, but only kissing. She is much too refined for sex so soon after meeting."

At Elijah’s statement, everyone at the table began talking over top of each other, justifying their opinions and Rebekah and Sage getting excited about the adorable babies Klaus and Caroline would produce.

Kol looked helplessly around at his family.

This was the _exact_ reason he’d never let Caroline meet Klaus. Because they were perfect for each other. Caroline was bright and sunshine-y enough to counteract Klaus’ doom and gloom, while still being cynical and jaded enough to remain interesting. Kol sighed, he really didn’t want Klaus to break her heart.

But he knew his family was right, now they’d met, there was no going back for either of them.

“$150 on them doing it before tomorrow.”

The squabbling faces turned towards Kol, all of them disbelieving he would put such high stakes on it.

Kol supposed he was at a considerable advantage, seeing as none of the family knew Caroline like he did. He knew Caroline had been abstinent for a good number of months, and he knew she tended to go for men like Klaus. And he knew judging by their wicked sexual tension, Klaus would only have to lay on the charm, and she would be putty in his hands.

And he also knew the perfect way to goad his brother into action.

Perhaps it was rigging the bet… but if it won him $400, he didn’t care.

“That much?”

“Yep.”

“Done.”

xxx

“Who you talking to?” Kol asked, sitting down beside his best friend, who was texting on the couch in front of the fire.

It was now Christmas evening, and all of the Mikaelsons and Caroline were completely exhausted from the excitement of the day.

Most of the family had already retired to their own rooms to commence their rests, only remaining out of bed were Caroline, Kol, Elijah and Klaus.

Klaus had been AWOL for the last few hours, and Caroline tried to ignore the tug of disappointment in her belly. She didn’t like Klaus. Not at all. Not in the slightest.

“Stefan,” Caroline replied a little too casually, giving Kol a suspicious glance.

Stefan was Caroline’s old friend from high school, who also went to Whitmore. Caroline and Stefan were forever texting funny stories or sex tips back and forth to the other. They would also coach other of through something they weren’t confident in, offering advice and counsel if needed. Caroline loved that their friendship would never be ruined by romance, because she was _not_ Stefan’s type.

The next lesson Stefan had requested of Caroline was a ‘how to execute the perfect romantic dinner’ because Stefan had a new boyfriend, and wanted to do something special for their next date. And Caroline was going to have Stefan teach her how to sext without looking _too_ un-classy, because it wasn’t something she’d managed to thoroughly grasp.

If Caroline was honest, she was a little suspicious of why Stefan had out of the blue text her on _Christmas Day_ for their sexting lesson. But she was going with it. It wasn’t like she had anything to lose.

“What are you talking about?” Kol smirked knowingly, as Caroline’s phone chimed distinctively, and her eyes widened reading the message.

“Nothing, Kol! Jeez!” Caroline snapped defensively. She may be going with the whole sexting Stefan thing, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t embarrassed about it.

“Okay, I know when I’m not wanted,” he chuckled amicably, before whispering conspiratorially, “Just don’t let anyone read over your shoulder.”

Caroline looked at her friend like a deer in the headlights.

“How did you…?”

“Because, Sweet Caroline,” he said jovially getting to his feet. “I know that look.”

“What look?”

“That one! The I’m-imagining-dirty-things look. You always have it on just before I hear your _special bunny_ fire up”

With that, Kol was gone, and Caroline was left gaping on the couch.

xxx

“Nik! How was Marcel?” Kol asked, a little too brightly, as he slipped his phone into his pocket surreptitiously.

“Well thanks, brother,” Klaus replied suspiciously. “What are you up to?”

“Oh nothing. Caroline’s on the couch.”

Klaus pretended this information was of no interest to him, even if his insides did a little backflip. “Why would I care?”

“No reason,” Kol smirked. “Night brother.”

Kol bounded upstairs, knowing Klaus would take the bait.

If Klaus stayed true to form, he would sneak up behind Caroline to try and gauge what she was doing before letting his presence known. And in Caroline’s distracted state, she would notice him.

Kol repulled his phone out of his pocket, smirking at his absolute genius, before sending off a text message of his own.

**_K – Thanks mate. Klaus took the bait. Hope Caroline takes yours._**

**_S – No problem._**

xxx

As Kol left Caroline’s phone buzzed again, and she turned her attention back to the screen.

**_S – So, third step is to reel them in with something a little more than flirty, but a step below graphic. Then tease some more._**

**_C – Okay, but how do I do that?_** ****

**_S – Be creative. Around now, send a sexy picture. Then describe something a graphic to whomever you’re texting._**

**_C – Can you retell me the steps? Then I’ll try._**

**_S - Build tension. Tease a little. Less graphic example of what you want to do. Tease again. Picture. More graphic example. Got it?_**

Despite the fact Stefan couldn’t see her, Caroline nodded. As she started with the messages. 

“Tension,” she mumbled to herself.

**_C – I can’t stop thinking about you tonight, and what it would feel like to have your lips drag over mine._**

**_S – Is that so?_**

**_C – I wish you could see what I’m wearing under my dress. It’s black and lacy and I think you’d enjoy it._ **

**_C – Or at least enjoy taking it off._**

Klaus froze. He had been stealthily sneaking up behind Caroline subtly gaging what she was up to. It appeared she was just texting someone, but as Klaus looked closer, he realised that was no text.

It was a sext.

Oblivious to the fact she now had an audience, Caroline continued.

**_S – Oh I’m sure I would._**

**_C – If you showed up at the door right now, I would rip your pants off and drop to my knees in front of you._**

**_C – Would you like that? Seeing me on my knees for you?_**

Klaus gulped.

Judging by the sudden tightness of his pants, he did would like to see that.

**_C –Do you want to see my clothes littering your bedroom floor?_**

Klaus’ mouth was watering at the visual imagery of Caroline’s bright red Christmas dress adorning the carpet in his bedroom.

**_C – Stefan, I’m not going to send you a picture, okay? I’m not your type anyway._**

Klaus felt slightly disappointed.

**_S – Didn’t expect you to. Next step, you’re doing well._**

Klaus really didn’t understand what was going on. Why was the guy saying ‘next step’?

But Klaus’ quizzical train of thought was interrupted as his mind turned to mush reading the next text Caroline sent.

**_C – I want you inside of me._** **_I want you to fuck your cock into me while I scream your name._**

Klaus almost fell over. 

He _reaallllllly_ wanted to act that out.

Hell, after the last couple of days, he _needed_ to act it out.

**_C – I want to spread my legs and gush around your cock while you fill me._**

Klaus was watching on desperately, imagining all the things she was so brazenly texting about.

**_C – Okay, Stef, I’m out. Might have to go keep myself company if you know what I mean ;)_**

Klaus knew he _had_ to move or she’d catch him gawping, but his mind was so full of pictures of her undulating beneath him while she screamed his name. It was rendering him completely motionless.

**_S – I get you, Care. You’re doing really well! You nearly turned me on! And you’re female!_**

**_C – Thanks Stef! I’ll talk to you later. We can have a cooking class when I get back to Whitmore._**

If Caroline were being honest she’d kind of turned herself on while texting Stefan. But she refused to let herself believe it was because she was imagining doing those things with Klaus.

That wasn’t the reason.

Not at all.

It had just been a long time since Caroline had talked dirty with anyone – or got any at all for that matter. That was it.

It was _nothing_ to do with the lustful images of kneeling in front of Klaus, sucking him off, then allowing him to bury himself in her tight, wet heat – which was now throbbing at the pictures her mind was painting.

Caroline shifted slightly, feeling the slight dampness between her legs, and rolling her eyes at her lack of forethought – she should have brought her special bunny.

As Caroline finally began to move, Klaus’ motor functions returned, and he gulped as she gasped loudly, seemingly startled by him.

“Jesus, how long have you been standing there?” Caroline asked, snappishly.

He tried. He really did. But the words just wouldn’t form in his mouth.

Never in his life had Klaus been rendered speechless, but staring at the beautiful goddess in front of him, the thought of her on her knees nor him and ‘keeping herself company’ had completely done a number on his faculties.

“Klaus?”

He was suddenly snapped out of his trance and attempted to regain his cocky composure. Though all she’d have to do was glance at his nether regions to see his composure was completely gone.

“Not long, love,” he said, a little too confidently, as he sat down next to her on the couch.

“Right,” Caroline said, warily.

He sat closer to her than strictly necessary, and Caroline caught again the scent of him – all rough and woodsy and beautifully male, just as she had when they were arguing on the street.

And it did _nothing_ for the lust swirling around Caroline’s brain.

“Did you have a nice Christmas?” Caroline asked, trying to find a safe conversation topic to stop the lewd tracks her mind was going towards.

“I did,” Klaus replied.

He was staring at her again, with that intense gaze of his, though this time it was less challenging and more admiring.

Though she _had_ to be seeing things.

He wouldn’t admire her.

They’d spent the entire two days previous griping at each other.

“That’s good.”

Caroline stole another glance at him, and chewed her lip absentmindedly.

She could do it. She could just lean in the six or so inches and enclose his lips with hers, and then see where the night took them.

He was flying back to England the next week; they could just have some no-strings-attached sex for now.

And, by the way he was looking at her, he wouldn’t be opposed to the idea.

“Is there anything that would make it better?” Caroline asked, with just the barest hint of seduction laced through her voice.

For a split second, Klaus was stunned. Was she flirting with him?

He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about her sexually more than once since their stand off in the lecture all those weeks ago.

He recovered quickly however, and raised a tentative hand to push her beautiful locks off her even more beautiful face.

Caroline almost hated that she leaned into his touch. But, as clichéd as it was, it felt so _right._

As his fingers grazed over her cheek, Caroline felt a shudder run through her body from the top of her head and the tips of her toes, straight to her already aware core.

“I can think of one thing,” Klaus breathed back.

“Tell me the truth, Klaus,” Caroline whispered. “Were you reading my texts over my shoulder?”

Klaus paled. Caught out.

“Yes, love,” he said, ashamed.

A small, sultry smile graced Caroline’s face then.

“Then you know exactly what I plan on doing to you.”

Before Klaus could so much as blink, Caroline had leaned in and placed her plump lips on his, instigating the most amazing kiss of Klaus’ life.

It was not the violent, desperate kiss he’d been expecting, rather a sensual, slow deep kiss. But for some reason, it drove Klaus crazier and harder than any other kiss he’d ever experienced.

Klaus raised his other hand to cup Caroline’s face, simultaneously pulling her closer to him and taking control over the kiss.

He traced his tongue slowly over the seam of her mouth, sliding it in to explore her every crevice when her lips parted.

Caroline moaned gently at the invasion, and weaved her fingers through his hair.

For all her previous desperation, she was enjoying the slow languor of this kiss, though she could certainly see it turning more heated in the future.

She gently pushed him back so she was lying on top of him on the couch. At this, Klaus removed his hands from her face and traced them down her body, before kneading the toned flesh of her arse with his hands.

Never in his life had he been so content just _kissing_ someone. The way she fit so perfectly with him. The way her body melded against his. The way her skin felt under his touch.

Klaus just _knew_ if he took it further, she would ruin him for any other woman, but he couldn’t help it. To deny himself the divinity that was Caroline Forbes, would be something akin to denying himself fresh water after days of thirst.

Just as he thought this, however, she began to pull away, and Klaus immediately felt the loss.

He gazed up at her as she straddled him. Her hair was slightly mussed and cheeks and lips more pink than usual, but _oh_ she looked more beautiful than Klaus ever though could be legal.

“If we’re going to do this,” Caroline murmured, her voice dripping with seduction, a light dancing in her eyes. “Then we’re going to do it properly.”

“Love, I could do you properly right here,” Klaus replied, with an equal passion in his voice, placing small kisses along her neck between each word. “And no man would ever be able to live up to it."

Caroline sighed at the contact but climbed off him before giving him one last kiss.

“Come to my room in ten minutes time, and I’ll make it worth your while.”

And with that, Caroline was strutting off sexily to her room.

Ten minutes had _never_ felt so long for Klaus.

xxx

Caroline had _never_ experienced a quicker ten minutes in her life.

If she was honest, she wasn’t wearing very sexy underwear – rainbows and unicorns weren’t a big turn on she’d been told. So that was the first thing she changed. Opting instead for her Victoria’s Secret black lacy set – the one she’d pretended to be wearing when talking to Stefan.

She threw her dress quickly back on, knowing some guys enjoyed watching a girl strip.

Next she quickly brushed her teeth. She’d had _a lot_ of garlic that day, and was not going to jeopardise sex with the sexiest man on the planet because of bad breath.

She was going to do him like no one ever had. She was going to ruin him for all other woman. Because after their kiss, she was pretty sure he’d ruined her for _ever_ being with another man – she may as well repay the favour.

Though, the main reason she wanted him to come to her room after a few minutes, was so she could re-enact the scenario she’d messaged Stefan.

Oral sex, while on her knees in front of him, before having him take her to six ways to Sunday wasn’t really appropriate lounge room practice. Especially when it wasn’t your house. Especially, _especially_ when the house was full of your sexual partners’ immediate family.

After her preparation time was up, she heard a soft knock at the door, and Caroline smirked.

Game on.

She opened the door and immediately attacked Klaus’ lips fervently.

Klaus walked them backwards into the room, closing the door behind them, before flipping them, and pinning Caroline to the door, both still locked in their passionate embrace.

After another few minutes of raging kisses, and Caroline flipped them back around, so Klaus had his back to the door.

Caroline’s hands pulled Klaus’ shirt off, flinging it behind her, and began fumbling with the buttons of Klaus’ jeans, before roughly tugging them down.

Klaus was so turned on by her initiative that he held his breath as she trailed kisses down his body.

“Do you want me on my knees for you, Klaus?” Caroline asked breathlessly.

“I really do, love.”

Klaus had never been a fan of the blowjob before, not enough control for his comfort-zone, but the thought of Caroline’s beautiful mouth wrapped around him nearly made his knees buckle.

He let his head fall back against the door as Caroline began to place hot, open-mouthed kisses on the inside of his thighs, gradually getting closer and closer to where Klaus needed her to be.

As she reached her final destination, she flicked her wet tongue over the tip of his length, revelling in the way he groaned loudly with pleasure.

She let her tongue run over his length a couple more times before completely encasing him with her mouth.

Klaus had never felt so much bliss during proper sex let alone during oral sex.

Caroline’s head bobbed up and down, massaging his balls with one hand, and following the path of her mouth with the other.

She sucked harder and harder until he was groaning her name.

God, she’d missed this. She’d completely forgotten just how satisfying it was to pleasure another person so much they could only articulate your name.

Klaus could feel his release begin to build, and tugged at her hair, pulling her mouth off, a faint pop resounding in the room.

“I don’t want to come in your mouth, love,” Klaus managed to grit out.

“But I want you to,” Caroline replied, looking up at him through thick lashes. “Please let me do this.”

Klaus wasn’t going to argue with a girl who said ‘please’, so he let her continue her ministrations.

This time, Caroline took him in even further, so the tip of his cock grazed the back of her throat.

She was humming slightly, and the vibrations sent rockets of pleasure through Klaus. Caroline sucked harder, until Klaus lost all self-control and began thrusting his hips into her mouth.

Caroline knew Klaus was close, and she looked up at him again, their eyes locking.

The combination of her hands working, along with her mouth, and the sudden eye contact finally did Klaus in. He felt himself tighten and spill into Caroline’s mouth, which she swallowed gladly.

She released his length and she placed a soft kiss on the inside of each of his thighs before working her way back up to his lips.

Klaus _adored_ how turned on she was from bringing him pleasure, though there was one thing wrong with this picture.

“You are far too overdressed, sweetheart,” Klaus murmured sensually in her ear, as he pecked her mouth over and over again.

“Can you help with that?”

Klaus slowed his feverish kisses and reached his hands around her, tugging the zip of her dress down. His eyes remained locked with hers the entire time the silky fabric was slithering down her body.

It was an extremely intimate moment, and both Caroline and Klaus wondered for the first time whether they would be able to keep it as just sex between them.

Klaus pulled her in for another slow, tender kiss, before feasting his eyes on the array of Caroline’s body.

“You truly are beautiful,” Klaus muttered, almost absentmindedly.

Caroline felt happiness bloom in her stomach along with the lust. No one had ever called her beautiful before. Sexy and hot, yes. Beautiful, no.

Klaus unclipped her bra and let it fall away, before walking them back to the bed, where he immediately began kissing down her neck, along her collar bones, before reaching Caroline’s hardened nipple, taking it in his mouth, massaging the slope of her other breast with his rough hands. Caroline moaned, wantonly and throwing her head back, letting the endorphins flood her body.

Klaus released her nipple and trailed his lips down her body. He reached her abdomen and stopped, making circles with his tongue as he shimmied her panties down her legs.

He ran his finger over her slit and she moaned again.

He rubbed her clit in circles before lowering his mouth to her lower lips, his tongue taking the place his fingers had only just occupied.

Caroline’s back arched involuntarily, desperate for more friction.

Klaus continued his ministrations for another minute, before sliding a finger inside her, and pumping at a leisurely pace. Her loud groans of satisfaction encouraged him to add a second finger, and that was nearly enough to send Caroline over the edge.

She buried her fingers in his hair and he continued to lap at her clit and thrust his fingers into her faster.

“Oh, Klaus,” Caroline sighed, her voice so breathy it had Klaus painfully hard again.

He pumped and swirled harder, as Caroline’s moans became more frantic. She could feel that delicious pleasure building up, and it only took two more thrusts, and one nip at her clit for it to be Caroline’s turn to come in Klaus’ mouth.

Klaus allowed Caroline to catch her breath again, slowly working his way back up to her mouth, kissing every bit of available skin as he went.

Klaus was hard once again, and Caroline could feel it pressing into her thigh as his lips met hers. She could taste herself on him, and it was such an erotic experience, it had her almost dripping again.

“That was good and all,” Caroline breathed into his ear in between kisses. “But I want you inside me. Right now. And I’m not talking about your fingers.”

Her demand sent Klaus’ heart and mind racing.

“That can certainly be arranged, love,” Klaus breathed back, before detaching himself from her to reach for a foil packet, conveniently placed on her bedside table.

“No need,” Caroline said mischievously. “I’m on the pill.”

“Right you are then,” Klaus said, rolling back to her and crashing his lips to her once more.

Klaus guided his cock to her opening, and dragged the head of it along her folds, both moaning loudly at the feeling.

“Is this what you want inside you?” Klaus asked cheekily.

“Yes, please, Klaus.”

Klaus smirked at the breathlessness of her voice, and continued to tease her for a moment, before thrusting into her, hard.

They both cried out at the sensation, Caroline instinctively wrapping her legs around his waist allowing him to fill her to his hilt.

Klaus pulled his hips back and thrust back in, the pace building quickly as they both got lost in the sheer ecstasy of being together.

Klaus watched Caroline writhe beneath him, her face twisted with a look of utmost pleasure, and it spurred Klaus’ libido higher knowing it was _he_ who caused her such bliss.

They both felt their second climaxes of the night fast approaching, and they began to thrust faster and faster. Klaus reached his hand between them to rub at Caroline’s sensitive nub as they pounded in sync.

The coil in Caroline’s belly curled tighter and tighter, until with a final hard push of Klaus’ hips, the coil snapped and Caroline toppled over the edge.

Klaus felt her walls clamp around him and it was such a beautiful feeling that he found his own release after only a few more thrusts.

They collapsed in a tangle of sweaty limbs, damp hair and skin slick with perspiration. They were silent for a few moments as they caught their breath.

Klaus was the first to move.

He rolled over so he was on his back, pulling Caroline down so she could rest her head on his chest and nuzzle into him while they recovered.

“What did we just do?” Caroline giggled once she’d regained enough brainpower to enunciate words properly.

“I’m not sure, love,” Klaus chuckled back, placing a soft, tender kiss of her forehead. “But I would gladly have a repeat.”

“And another one after that,” Caroline grinned, pressing her lips to his.

“And then another couple, for good measure,” Klaus added, smiling as the blonde beauty, who was now straddling him, continued peppering kisses all over his face and neck.

xxx

Boxing Day dawned bright and cold, just as the previous day. But Caroline wasn’t cold like she had been the day before.

Klaus’ arms were wrapped tightly around her, as she slowly woke from her slumber.

They had at least three more rounds the night before, with little power naps in the middle to regain strength.

She smiled softly at the man in her arms. She wasn’t sure what the future held for them, but Caroline was _sure_ she was going to make the most of him while he was there.

She wriggled to get free of his grasp a little, before beginning to place hot kisses along his jawline.

“Wake up, sleepy head,” she crooned in his ear. She could tell he was awake, but he kept his eyes stubbornly shut – so shoot him for enjoying the pleasurable wake up call.

“I’m just dying for a little snack before breakfast.”

Klaus could no longer hold in the smirk he was suppressing, and opened his eyes.

“Morning, love,” he mumbled, his voice low, gravelly and adorable after the sleep.

Before Caroline could say another word, Klaus was attacking her mouth with more of his drugging kisses, and the beautiful feelings they’d experienced the previous night began flooding back, as blood began flooding to their most intimate places.

“I could get used to waking up like this,” Klaus said in between kisses.

“Me too.”

Klaus paused momentarily. Never before had he _wanted_ to wake up with someone sleeping beside him. But he could see himself wanting this with Caroline.

“We’ll see if that can be arranged, sweetheart,” Klaus said meaningfully, before pressing a deep kiss on her lips.

xxx

Kol bounded down stairs, hoping to find his best friend and brother in the awkward, post hook-up breakfast conversation.

But they weren’t there.

Everyone else was. But they weren’t.

Kol knew Caroline _very_ well, and if she wasn’t up before eight o’clock then something was _seriously_ wrong.

And it was now nine thirty.

Kol’s brow creased, as worry flooded through his body. Maybe she was unwell. Maybe Klaus hadn’t taken the bait, and they just killed each other instead.

Kol jumped up the stairs he’d only recently bounded down, and barged into Caroline’s room without knocking.

What he found was a sight that would be burned into his brain forever more – and he would bring it up in his maid of honour speech at Caroline and Klaus’ wedding… but that was another story.

There was a fully naked Caroline riding a completely bare Klaus, her head thrown back a look of utter heaven gracing her face as Klaus palmed her breasts, before –

“KOL!” She screeched, practically falling off Klaus’ hips – which was awkward seeing as they were connected there – and scrambling to cover herself. “GET OUT!”

Kol didn’t know whether to cover his eyes and vomit, or cover his eyes and laugh.

“Wait,” Kol said, watching as a beet red Caroline huddled closely to a furious looking Klaus. “Did you to do the nasty before Christmas Day ended.”

“What the hell, Kol!?” Caroline shrieked. “Why would you ask that!? Get lost!!!”

“I’ll leave if you tell me,” he smirked.

“YES!” Caroline and Klaus both shouted in unison.

Kol’s smirk became a fully-fledged, shit-eating grin and he sped out the door – being an ass and leaving it open.

“I WON THE POOL!” Kol called excitedly running back down the stairs to claim his prize.

“I WON THE POOL!!”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! 
> 
> Thank you for my two betas for their lovely (and invaluable) work. 
> 
> I hope I didn't disappoint! 
> 
> P.S. Smut really isn't a strong point of mine.


End file.
